In the silent night, Francis Ribes took his last way. An essential figure of the mountain singers of Alfred Roland, he leaves behind the memory of a deeply human man, a voice rooted in tradition and a benevolent look placed on the group and its mountains.
In the silence of a bereaved night, a voice was killed. A deep, fraternal voice, carried by the pure breath of the Pyrenees. Francis Ribes, emblematic figure of the mountain singers of Alfred Roland, died, leaving behind an immense void on the cousstous, in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, and in the heart of all those who shared a piece of musical path by his side.
« Francis, from where you are, you will always guide our steps … »
The words are simple, but loaded with a deep emotion. Because Francis was not only a voice, a high and strong presence in the group – he was a soul. A soul faithful to the human and musical values of a choir born in the heart of the mountains.
A heritage rooted in the summits
The mountain singers of Alfred Roland was born in 1849, founded by the composer Alfred Roland, in a momentum of love for the terroir, the Occitan language and the Pyrenean polyphonic songs. This group, one of the oldest vocal ensembles in France, brought the echo of its mountains through the country and even beyond, bearing the pride of a rooted, lively, vibrant culture.
Francis Ribes was one of the pillars. His high silhouette, recognizable among all, her powerful, but sweet voice, knew how to carry the songs as we wear a flame. He embodied this mountain fraternity, this group spirit where solidarity prevails, where each voice, although singular, finds its right place in collective harmony.
A vacuum on the coustous, a song in the wind
Today, mountain singers are in mourning. Francis will no longer tread the place of the coustous, will no longer share the wine of friendship after a rehearsal or a concert, will no longer vibrate the vaults of a chapel around a sacred chant.
And yet … he is still there.
In each note, in each silence preceding a perfect agreement, in each look exchanged between old and new members. Francis, from up there, still accompanies the voices, faithful to this passion which he knew how to transmit by his only presence.
To his brother Jean-Louis, to all his family, to friends, to traveling companions, the mountain singers of Alfred Roland send their most sincere condolences.
